Chapter 8

Courting Lilith, it turned out, was a nightmare. Though she was a little kinder to Aaden now, she certainly wasn't at all interested in his advances, something that she made perfectly clear every time Aaden came near her.

It had been two days since his arrival at the castle and Aaden was still where he had started. He had tried talking to her, he had tried cornering her so that they could be alone, only for her to slip away from him at the very last moment, he had even tried to bribe Cameron to help him out, but the man was too noble to be bought like that.

He had also laughed right in Aaden's face, asking if he was already that desperate, and Aaden didn't even have it in him to protest. Every single woman he had ever met would have fallen for him by then and he began to realize that perhaps his skills at seducing them were not as legendary as he claimed. Had it only been luck that brought them all to his bed? Had it been his looks? How could Lilith resist him when others couldn't?

Still, he made it his mission to track her down every single morning and try, at least, to start a conversation with her—anything that would get him even a little bit closer to his goal. That day, he saw her from the window of his guest chambers in the courtyard, firing arrows at a tree, and he hardly managed to dress himself properly before he rushed out of his room, eager to join her. He even skipped breakfast, his plan was more important than any hunger he might feel.

It wasn't even Ruadh's plan that he was following now, though that was still something that needed to be done if he were to keep his mother safe and his head on his shoulders. It was a matter of pride, really, as every rejection from Lilith only infuriated him more, until he was practically vibrating with it every time she was near. Aaden couldn't get her out of his head. He was at her mercy, and he didn't like that at all.

Once he was in Lilith's line of sight, after running all the way down the stairs and out into the courtyard, Aaden waved his hand cheerily at her, giving her his biggest smile. Lilith responded with a smile of her own, but it never quite reached her eyes. If anything, it seemed not only forced, but almost hostile, more like a baring of teeth.

"How are ye today, me lady?" Aaden asked as he approached, only to come to a sudden halt when an arrow whizzed past him, barely missing his face and lodging itself on the bark of the tree behind him.

His heart stuttered in his chest, losing its rhythm. He didn't hold any fear in battle, but now that he had suddenly—out of nowhere, in fact—come so close to a premature death, his knees almost buckled under his weight, and he had to force himself to muster any control he had left to stay upright. He was certain his skin had turned a deathly shade of white, cold sweat covering his forehead with every passing second.

"Did ye just try tae kill me?"

It sounded absurd even as he spoke, but it was all he could say in that moment, his eyes wide open as he looked at Lilith, who didn't even have the decency to appear remorseful.

"Please… if I wished tae kill ye, ye would be dead already," she said. "Has nae one taught ye that ye shouldnae walk in front o' archers?"

"I didnae think ye would shoot yer arrow at me!" What sane person would do such a thing? Even if Lilith was the best archer in the world, it didn't mean that she couldn't make a mistake. For all Aaden knew, she could have even missed by accident, when her real goal was to shoot him in the head.

"I ken what I'm doin'," Lilith said calmly, placing her bow down as if to show him that she was no threat to him—not anymore, at least. "I told ye, if I wanted ye dead, ye would be."

Exasperated, Aaden turned around to walk away from her and to a safe distance, somewhere where she couldn't bring her bow and arrow. Before he got too far, though, he turned around and pointed a finger at her, lips curling into a snarl.

"Dinnae dae that again."

As he headed back inside the castle, the bubbling sound of Lilith's laughter followed him, making him seethe. He didn't even see Cameron as he approached him and fell right into the man, an insult ready on his tongue before he saw who it was.

"Aaden?" Cameron asked, taking in his shaken appearance. "What is the matter?"

"What is the matter?" Aaden hissed, looking over his shoulder as if he was expecting Lilith to have followed him inside with her weapons. "Lilith is tryin' tae kill me, that is the matter. She shot an arrow at me! Right at me head!"

"Ach…" Cameron seemed to want to say more, but no words came past his lips. Aaden couldn't help but glare at him, incredulous.

"Is that all ye have tae say?"

"It isnae the first time she has shot at a suitor."

O' course it isnae. I dinnae ken what I expected.

"Well, someone better control the lass!" Aaden said as he pushed past Cameron, heading to breakfast even though his stomach had tied itself into knots after the sudden attack.

"I thought that was what ye were tryin' tae dae," Cameron called after him, laughing.

"She could have killed me!"

"If she wanted ye dead, ye would be," Cameron said, drawing a frustrated growl out of Aaden.

It took Aaden several hours to get over the shock of the arrow flying by his face, but eventually, he decided there was no point in holding a grudge. Lilith wouldn't apologize to him, Cameron had already told him what he thought, and if anyone else had found out, they surely didn't think to comment on Aaden's miraculous escape and survival.

Now, more than ever before, he was determined to get what he wanted from Lilith. She was so sure of herself, so certain that Aaden was nothing but a philanderer who wasn't worth her time or affections, and Aaden was determined to prove her wrong just so that he could show her she wasn't as hard to get as she wanted to think. Besides, until Aaden came up with a better plan to save his mother, he had no choice but to do as Ruadh commanded.

In the end, they all caved. In the end, Aaden always got what he wanted, simply because he was determined to work for it.

Dinner with the Stewarts was a lengthy and awkward affair. Though Cameron wasn't there that night to glare at Evander, Aaden still had to hear his cousin and Freya whisper to each other, surely professing their undying love, while Laird Stewart sat at the head of the table, his gaze never leaving the two of them. He didn't seem to trust Evander at all, and Aaden couldn't blame him for it. After all, he was right to suspect his motives.

On the other hand, he didn't seem to hold any suspicion for Aaden, or if he did, he certainly didn't care. Aaden couldn't blame him for that either. Why would he worry when Lilith was so good at thwarting all his attempts, when she had made it so clear to everyone that she wanted nothing to do with him?

It was only towards the end of the dinner that Laird Stewart turned his attention to Aaden, forcing his lips into a facsimile of a smile. "Is everythin' tae yer likin' here, lad? Is there anythin' ye need?"

Whether the laird truly cared to know or if he was trying to start a conversation just for the sake of it, Aaden didn't know. Either way, he smiled politely and nodded. "Och aye. Everythin' is great, me laird."

"I'm glad tae hear it," the man said and the briefly glanced at Lilith, who refused to meet her father's gaze. "An' me daughter? I dinnae see ye spend much time together."

"I am busy, faither," Lilith said then, before Aaden could even think to answer. "I dinnae have the luxury tae entertain our guests an' besides, Freya is more than adept at that."

"An' what is it, dear daughter, that is so important that it must be done while our guests are here?" Laird Stewart asked. Trapped as Aaden was between them, he had no choice but to stare down at his plate and wait for this conversation to end, the entire time wondering why they couldn't have it in private. "I think yer sister has plenty tae dae with Evander. Aaden must be quite lonely. Are ye nae lonely, Aaden?"

As much as he didn't want to answer that question, Aaden saw this as his chance to push Lilith a little. If her father instructed her to spend more time with him, then perhaps she would finally listen.

"I cannae say I am lonely," he said with a small shrug. "Cameron has been a gracious host, too. But it would be nice tae spend more time with Miss Stewart, as both me cousin an' Cameron are often busy an' I dinnae ken any other people in the castle."

"I'm sure ye can meet them," Lilith said with chilly politeness. "A maid or two perhaps?"

"Lilith. That's quite enough."

Laird Stewart's voice, though quiet, carried the kind of authority that no one could refuse. For the first time ever since Aaden had gotten to that castle, he saw her lower her gaze in shame, as though a quiet reprimand from her father was all it took to silence her.

Undeterred, Aaden looked at her with a smile and said, "I'd rather have ye as company."

Though Lilith glared at him from the corner of her eye, Aaden could tell her father was pleased. She wasn't the only one he was trying to impress. If he could impress her father, then all this would surely be easier for him.

Aaden exchanged no more words with Lilith during dinner, but rather made small talk with the laird, getting to know more about the Stewarts and their lands. Whenever Laird Stewart asked him questions about his own clan and his family, Aaden responded as vaguely as possible while still satisfying the man's curiosity, never giving too much away.

To his relief, Evander was too busy with Freya to even listen to them as they talked. By the end of the dinner, Laird Stewart had taken a liking to Aaden, Evander had managed to get Freya even more enamored with him—if that was even possible—and Lilith was stewing in her anger as she listened to them in silence.

When dinner finished and Laird Stewart started heading to his study, Evander followed close behind, claiming he needed to speak with him in private once more. Aaden decided to follow the two girls to the drawing room, having nothing better to do. For a moment, he considered seeking out Cameron, but it was better to spend as much time near Lilith on their own as he could, he figured. Maybe if he treated her like a spooked animal, trying to get her used to his presence, she would change her attitude towards him.

Aaden took a seat on a grand, velvet couch under a large set of windows that overlooked the courtyard and Freya made to sit across from him, but Lilith shook her head.

"Ye must practice first," she said, beckoning her closer. "Ye still havenae memorized the steps."

Aaden wondered what she was talking about as the two girls stood side by side.

"Must I practice every day?" Freya said, dragging her feet as she moved. It didn't take long for Aaden to see that what they were about to practice was a dance, the two of them assuming the starting position. "I'm sure I will remember when the time comes."

"The ball will be soon," Lilith said, much to Aaden's surprise. He didn't know there was going to be a ball, though perhaps it would be to honor the two marriages they were expecting. "An' ye will be asked tae dance, so ye must ken the steps."

"Ye dinnae ken how tae dance?" Aaden asked, eyebrows raised up to his hairline in surprise. He would have thought that if one of the sisters didn't know how to dance, it would be Lilith, not Freya.

"I never learnt," said Freya.

"She never paid attention," said Lilith at the same time.

Aaden chuckled, trying to stifle the sound when he received a scathing look from Freya, one that made her look eerily like her sister. For a moment, it was as though there were two Liliths in front of him and that thought filled him with dread.

With the lack of music, Lilith kept count as the two of them danced, Lilith leading her sister around the room. They were both graceful, even if Freya didn't quite know the steps yet, but there was something about Lilith that made it impossible for him to look away. She moved effortlessly, as though she was gliding in the air, her limbs in perfect symmetry, her feet following the perfect tempo.

Aaden was quite a competent dancer himself, as his father had made sure he had every skill befitting his station, but Lilith didn't only have the knowledge; she also had the talent.

"Aaden?"

Freya's insistent tone and the hand waving in front of his face pulled Aaden back to reality and he suddenly realized his mouth was parched and he had been staring at Lilith in silence for a long while.

"What?" he asked, almost entirely breathless.

"I said ye should dance with Lilith," Freya said, giving him an amused smirk. "She should practice with someone who can lead, too."

"I'm sure she doesnae need tae practice," Aaden pointed out. "She's already very good."

"I cannae believe I will say this, but Aaden is right," Lilith said. "I dinnae need the practice."

"But if I can watch ye dance, then perhaps I can become better!" Freya said as she came to perch herself on the couch next to Aaden, her hands landing on his shoulders to push him off his seat. "Please? I truly think it will help."

Aaden, like many others, he was sure, had underestimated Freya. It now seemed to him that she was far more cunning than she wanted to appear, with schemes of her own. Though he had the impression that Lilith was still more sly than her sister, Freya was not far behind.

"Well?" Aaden asked Lilith with a heavy sigh, a hand coming up to comb through his hair. "Shall we dance, then? Fer yer sister?"

Lilith's eyes narrowed as she glared at the two of them, her gaze moving back and forth. Aaden hardly thought he deserved it now, though, considering Freya had been the one to push for this. He hadn't even said a thing.

"Fine," Lilith said through gritted teeth as she approached him, assuming the starting position once more. "Try tae keep up."

"Ach, I assure ye, I can keep up fine," Aaden said, tone thick with innuendo. He had no doubt Lilith knew precisely what he meant, but she didn't comment on it. Instead, she began to count without warning, and for the first few steps, Aaden actually stumbled, caught off-guard. He quickly recovered, though, and caught up to Lilith, the two of them moving around the room with the same grace and ease as the two sisters when they danced together—at least until Lilith decided to start stepping on Aaden's toes with every other move, always bumping into him and trying to make him lose his balance.

There was no doubt in his mind that she was doing it on purpose. For someone who only moments prior had danced with such mastery, stepping on his toes so often couldn't possibly be accidental. If that wasn't enough proof, though, there was also that devious smirk on her face, one that infuriated Aaden to even look at.

Still, he didn't give up. He continued to dance with Lilith, doing his best to keep her in line, to guide her where he wanted her, despite her best efforts to throw him off his rhythm. Every time the dance brought them close, Aaden's body thrummed with excitement, and he couldn't resist the urge to pull her closer and closer every time, with no regard to what was necessary or even proper. Lilith, in turn, allowed it, her lips parted and her eyes dark, filled with something Aaden could only identify as want.

Does she want me like I want her? Does she feel the same pull?

At the next twirl, Aaden boldly grabbed her waist as he spun her around and once they were facing each other again, he tugged their bodies flush together. For just a moment, he could feel the rise and fall of her chest, the soft contours of her body, and even that gaze of hers betraying the lust that coursed through her, mirroring his own. It didn't take long for her, though, to shut herself to him once more, pushing him back and stepping outside of his reach, much to his disappointment.

By then, they were both breathing heavily, chests heaving as they stared at each other, Aaden glaring and Lilith smiling smugly at him.

Behind him, Freya started to clap enthusiastically, as though she hadn't even noticed how terribly they had danced.

"Are ye tired o' me yet?" Lilith whispered to him.

Aaden didn't want to give her the satisfaction. Of course he was tired of her, but it didn't mean he was going to give up. The fight she put up would only make her eventual surrender all that much sweeter, once she realized how good Aaden could be for her.

"Nay," he said, this time giving her a smirk of his own. "I'm nae tired at all. I will chase ye until ye relent, an' ye will relent, there is nae question about it."

"How can ye be so certain?" Lilith asked. It occurred to Aaden then that they were standing very close to each other, closer than the dance necessitated. Somehow, their bodies had been drawn to each other until they were sharing the same breath as they hurtled their challenges at each other, their gazes locked in a fight for dominance.

"I told ye," Aaden said, his voice barely a whisper. "Every lass falls fer me in the end. How can ye be so certain that ye're the exception?"

For a few moments, neither of them spoke. They only stared at each other in silence, until Lilith pulled back abruptly, as if just realizing how close they were standing to each other. It was only then that Aaden could draw in a deep breath once more, his lungs filling with the oxygen of which he had deprived them.

Though there had been unbearable tension between them, Aaden couldn't help but miss the proximity. Though they weren't touching at all for that entire time, his skin still felt colder when Lilith pulled back from him, his chest aching with an unnamed emotion.

Before he could say anything else, Lilith walked over to the couch, offering Freya her hand. The younger sister took it, though she didn't make an effort to stand.

"Come," Lilith told her. "It is late. We should sleep."

Freya stood, though not without sparing Aaden one last glance first. She gave him a knowing look, one that had him feeling more vulnerable than ever, as though she could see right through him.

Perhaps she could. Perhaps Aaden was more obvious than he liked to think. Then again, the entire point of this game he and Lilith had created between them was to be obvious. He wanted her to know how much he desired her. He wanted her to see the hunger in his eyes, to feel his lust like a physical touch on her skin.

If he frustrated her enough, then perhaps he could finally conquer her